Adverse events for patients being treated for heart attack and heart failure have declined, according to a new study published in the January 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). However, the AHRQ-funded analysis used to develop the NEJM study found no significant decrease in adverse events for patients being treated for pneumonia and those who received surgery. The study, "National Trends in Patient Safety for Four Common Conditions, 2005 to 2011," compared the rate of 21 adverse events that occurred among hospital patients in 2005-2006 with those that happened in 2010-2011. Researchers from AHRQ and the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Biostatistics found that from 2005 to 2011, the rate of heart attack patients experiencing one or more adverse events fell from 26.0 percent to 19.4 percent and the rate for heart failure patients experiencing adverse events fell from 17.5 percent to 14.2 percent. A preview of the study is available on the NEJM Web site.

New AHRQ-funded research uncovered important implementation considerations for telemonitoring of blood glucose and blood pressure in diabetes patients receiving care in patient-centered medical homes. The article and abstract, "Implementing Home Blood-Glucose and Blood-Pressure Telemonitoring in Primary Care Practices for Patients With Diabetes: Lessons Learned," appeared online December 18 in Telemedicine and E-Health. Researchers gathered perspectives from stakeholders, including patients, nurse care coordinators, and physicians, to understand the impact of using information technology to monitor diabetes patients from a distance. Stakeholders emphasized the need to involve and prepare physicians and patients about how to effectively use telemonitoring. They also stressed the importance of considering workflows, flow of information, and human factors to optimize use of the technology.

AHRQ in collaboration with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), is hosting a Webinar on February 19 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET, on the use of evidence-based recommendations to inform clinical practice. After participating in this Webinar, advanced-practice nurses will be able to:

Describe the five major steps in conducting a systematic review.

List the evidence-based resources available on the AHRQ Web site, including those available through the Effective Health Care (EHC) Program.

Locate the resources available on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Web site, including the Electronic Preventive Services Selector (ePSS) tool.

Explain how the EHC Program resources, USPSTF recommendations, and the ePSS tool can be integrated into clinical decisionmaking by advanced-practice nurses.

Download the ePSS application to a personal digital assistant or mobile device.

This program was planned in accordance with AANP CE Standards and Policies and AANP Commercial Support Standard and is approved for 1 contact hour of continuing education.

4. Now Available: Webcast of CAHPS Online Reporting Demonstration

People who were unable to participate in the January 15 Webinar about AHRQ's Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Database and online reporting can now view the session online. AHRQ has posted a recorded Webcast of the event, "Using the CAHPS Database to Compare, Report, and Improve Organization Performance." During the Webinar, speakers presented an overview of the CAHPS Database, including a demonstration of the CAHPS Database's Online Reporting System, two examples of organizations that have been using the CAHPS Database and Online Reporting System, and an explanation of how survey users can participate in this free, voluntary program. Visit the registration page to access the recorded Webcast.